By: Joel & Lydia Ramirez
Psalm 37 follows a similar pattern to Proverbs 12 and Psalm 1. It begins by calling us to trust in the LORD, commit our way to Him, and wait patiently for Him. That trust begins to shape our steps, and those steps reveal a recognizable righteous character. By the time we reach verse 37, we are told to “mark the blameless man, and behold the upright.” Why should we mark him? Because we can observe not only the character of the man and the path he walks, but also where that path leads: “the end of that man is peace.” Finally, we return to Proverbs 12 and find the same pattern again. Wisdom seeks counsel rather than trusting in its own understanding. That wisdom becomes visible through character, truthful and healing speech, diligence, prudence, and a desire for peace. Character reveals the path being traveled, and that path does not affect the traveler alone. The righteous person can become a guide to his neighbor, while the way of the wicked can lead others astray. Then Proverbs 12:28 gives us the destination: “In the way of righteousness is life.” A pattern is beginning to emerge: Counsel → Path → Character → Influence → Destination. Who or what we listen to helps determine the path we follow. The path we follow shapes the character that becomes visible in our lives. Our character and our walk influence those around us, and ultimately the path has a destination. This gives greater meaning to the command in Psalm 37:37 to “mark” the blameless man. We are not simply being told to identify someone who appears righteous. We are being invited to observe his character, consider the path he is walking, and look carefully at where that path leads. Now, let us tie the Old Testament to the New Testament. When we look for this same pattern in the New Testament, Romans stands out. Paul takes us deeper into the concept we have been tracing and helps us understand something essential: the path does not justify the man; rather, the justified man walks a different path. Without careful study and application to the gospel, one might conclude from our study of Proverbs and Psalms that we simply need to find the right path, behave like the righteous man, and eventually arrive at life. Paul confronts that conclusion by first identifying the problem: none of us qualifies as the righteous man on our own. Romans 3:10 declares, “There is none righteous, not even one.” If none of us begins as the righteous man, simply recognizing the right path cannot save us. We need Christ. Paul shows us a more complete pathway: Christ’s Sacrifice → Washed, Sanctified & Justified → New Identity → New Walk → Fruit of Sanctification → Life and Peace. This sheds new light on the attributes we have been identifying in Psalm 37 and Proverbs 12. These attributes are not the price of admission to the righteous path; rather, they are evidence of the kind of path being traveled. This takes us directly back to “marking the blameless man.” We are not examining the righteous man to determine whether he has accumulated enough good attributes to earn righteousness. We are observing the fruit of his life because that fruit tells us something about the road he is traveling and the One he is following. Romans 6 begins to sound remarkably like the language we encountered in Proverbs. Paul presents two opposing directions: one characterized by slavery to sin and ending in death, and another characterized by obedience, righteousness, and sanctification, with its outcome being eternal life. Romans 6:23 brings the contrast into sharp focus: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Compare this with Proverbs 12:26–28. The way of the wicked leads astray, while the way of righteousness leads to life. Proverbs describes the two ways and Romans reveals more fully both the problem within us and how we can enter a new life. Romans 8 then helps complete the picture. Romans 8:5-6 takes us beneath the outward behavior to the internal motivation behind these two ways. There is a mind set on the flesh, whose destination is death, and a mind set on the Spirit, whose destination is life and peace. Those final words are significant. Psalm 37 told us to mark the blameless man and observe that his end is peace. Proverbs 12 told us that the way of righteousness leads to life. Then Romans brings those two destinations together: “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” These are not merely two desirable outcomes. In the context of sanctification Paul has been explaining, they become destination markers of a life transformed by Christ. Christ first changes our standing before God through sanctification. The changed walk is evidence of our obedience to God. Therefore, we cannot walk away from our study of Proverbs merely thinking, “I need to try harder to become that righteous man.” The gospel calls us to something far greater. We cannot make ourselves righteous by walking the path well enough. Our righteousness begins with what Christ has done for us, received through faith. Through our obedience and baptism into Christ’s death comes a new life, a life of obedience and sanctification in which we learn to walk according to the Spirit. To be concluded…